Memories
by domina tempore
Summary: When I took her along with me I knew that she was going to save worlds, and she did. In a show of spectacular brilliance, Donna Noble saved the universe... And I had to take that all away… Post "Journey's End".


**Doctor Who:** _Memories_

_by: jewel of athos _

_Disclaimer: Doctor Who and all of its characters and locations etc. belong to their respective owners. I own only my original storylines. No copyright infringement intended!_

_Summary: When I took her along with me I knew that she was going to save worlds, and she did. In a show of spectacular brilliance, Donna Noble saved the universe... And I had to take that all away… Post "Journey's End"._

_Author's Note: Donna is my favorite Companion – truly brilliant – and it kills me how they ended her partnership with the Doctor. I've wanted to write her for a long time. I don't know if I've done it particularly well or if I've got them very much in character here, but this one needed to be written. Hopefully more will follow._

_Please excuse my weird tense changes. The idea is that he's talking about her in the past and the present at the same time; I know it's a little strange for the reader the way I did it, but I hope it makes sense._

*~_|"|_~*

Not a day went by when I didn't call her brilliant.

All that time, and never once did I forget to tell her, remind her of how smart and special and just how _exceptional_ she is. Her whole life she's been called stupid – that by idiots who wouldn't know left from right if it wasn't shown them every morning, and even by her harshly affectionate mother. But I never passed up an opportunity to prove those idiots wrong.

From the moment I met her – and granted, she wasn't even trying then – I could tell that she has incredible potential. Her entire being glows with it, and I could see her doing _such_ great things! When I took her along with me I knew that she was going to save worlds, and she did. I'm never wrong about these things. Oh, she saved so many worlds that night; billions of people and aliens and other innocent creatures that deserved life. In a show of spectacular brilliance, Donna Noble saved the universe.

And I had to take that all away.

I still go back every now and again to check up on her, to see that she's okay. Her granddad tells me some things, and sometimes I even catch a glimpse of her. Once or twice she's even caught me and Wilf up on that hill, having a chat and a bit of tea or supper. I'm always so worried that seeing me is going to set something off; the spark that burns her down. But it never does.

"_Smith, right?" _she recalled the first time. _"You were at the house on that crazy day last year, talking to Gramps."_ And whenever she remembers it, I smile and nod, sadly.

"_Yeah, that's right. And you're Wilf's brilliant granddaughter, eh? He's told me a lot about you." _

She scoffs at me whenever I say it, now. She doesn't understand how much I mean it. _"Oh, I don't know about brilliant. Never done anything too special really, except hit my head and lose some memories. And that's not even the good kind of special."_

"_Nah, I think you are brilliant. From the stories your gramps and I…" _ I always have to stop myself. She can _never_ know these stories. _"You're brilliant, Donna."_

"_Gramps."_ She always gives him such a _look_ when she says it. I remember that look. I miss it. _"What kind of stories have you been telling this man?"  
_

"_Only the true ones,"_ Wilf promises with a glance at me. We both know that I'm the one telling the stories. Giving him a little taste of the stars that I gave her.

"_Well, you'd better not tell him about the spiders when I was ten, anyways. He'll probably never come back."_ She'll smirk and shake her head, start to turn away, leaving me again. The best friend that she can never know. _"Be home in time for supper now, Gramps. Might as well bring him along if he's still here, too. Mum will throw a fit, in any case; it could be interesting."_

"_Oh, no, I've really got to be going." _I never stay. I always want to. _"But be magnificent, okay?"_

"_Well what a funny thing to say!"_ She'll give me that crooked little half-grin that I miss so much. _"Goodbye, then."_

Goodbye.

Does anyone else call her brilliant, anymore? Does anyone remind her that she is special, and that there are people in this world who love her and care for her, people who want her to be happy? Does anyone on Earth praise her or see her for the hero that she is?

… And I wonder, does she still long to see the stars?

_fin._

*~_|"|_~*

_A/N: This doesn't do her utter brilliance any justice, I know. One day I plan to be able to capture it on the page, though. _

_Thank you so much for reading! _


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